So it's almost, aaalmost at the point of awareness

It's not a cutesy thing they don't quite get, though the person saying it may or may not be aware of it because our conscious minds are not nceessarily aware of the other processes in the brain, they're always are of the groupthink and powertrip.

The point is to say 2 contradictory things and getting away with it.

Forcing people to not call someone a man os demonstrating power because you told others what to do.

Following up with a demonstration that you don't have to follow those rules by calling him a man yourself, is another demonstration of power.

The problem for them is this either creates or attracts people with serious mental disorders.